CAMP PROGRAMS

Fred's Camp is proud to offer a broad and flexible program encouraging campers to participate and challenge themselves. Through creative and stimulating activities, children will have the opportunity to develop physical coordination, awareness of themselves as group members, self-esteem and sensitivity to their environment.

Junior camp consists of campers entering junior kindergarten through 1st grade. Boys and girls participate in a wide variety of sports such as baseball, soccer, basketball, flag-football to name a few. The excitement continues off campus with weekly field trips to water parks, children museums, and a few surprise trips along the way.

Campers also receive weekly music, drama, dance, yoga, soccer, and arts & crafts as a part of the curriculum. Campers participate in a variety of team building activities to facilitate positive group dynamics.

The week culminates on Friday afternoon with a tradition that dates back to 1994, Fred's Fabulous Franks Cookout and Fred's Camp Unit Activities. Below are a few highlights from last summer.

World Cup Soccer Tournament

Olympic Games

Smart Phone Scavenger Hunt

Gold Rush

Camp Carnival

Throughout the summer kindergarten and 1st grade groups are greeted by local entertainers who bring their magic, juggling, and comedy to campers throughout the summer.

Swimming

At Fred’s Camp we are committed to providing the highest level swim instruction in the camping industry. For the 2018 summer we are excited to return to our roots and will be teaming up with the American Red Cross Learn-To-Swim Program. This progressive curriculum will focus on water safety, swimming basics and the four core swimming strokes. Please click here to learn more about our swimming curriculum. Swimming is held, rain or shine, 4 times a week, at the Ray Meyer Fitness Center. The ratio in the pool is 4:1 which provides a safe nurturing environment for everyone.

SENIOR CAMP

Senior camp consists of campers who are entering 2nd through 5th grade. In the morning campers will be grouped by age/gender. They will be led by the finest camp professionals in the business. In the afternoon campers will have the opportunity to choose their own adventure by self selecting one of two program choices (Click below to learn more).

All campers showcase their skills each and every Friday morning during weekly senior camp unit activities such as World Cup Soccer, Olympics, Color War, and C.S.I (Camp Scene Investigation). Campers also keep an edge on the competition by participating in various weekly tournaments, including dodgeball, capture the flag, and Color War.

Senior campers partake in up to 4 swim periods a week. This progressive curriculum will focus on water safety, swimming basics and the four core swimming strokes. Please click hereto learn more about our swimming curriculum.

The excitement builds off campus with weekly field trips to water parks, ball games, and a few surprise trips along the way. Senior campers also partake in an extended day as well as the annual Lock In Sleepover on the campus of DePaul University (3rd-5th).

Tween camp is a wonderful transitional program for campers entering grades 6-8, in which campers have a unique opportunity to further foster friendships they have built over the years.

The children are grouped by gender, and our Tween campers are provided with opportunities to build their leadership skills. For example the Tween group is a mixed group of 6th-8th graders, allowing our older Tweens to mentor our younger ones. Also, our Tween campers help run some activities for the Kindergarten-5th grade campers, giving the Tweens a sense of leadership and a small idea of what it might be like to be a counselor.

While at camp, the Tweens have an opportunity to do enjoy some of their favorite camp activities such as arts & crafts and a one-hour per week swim period, and they also have use of the DePaul field and gyms for games and activities. They have at least one all-unit activity per week as well, bringing the boys and girls together for activities such as Capture the Flag, Tween Camp Olympics, and various other large-group games.

The Tweens are very mobile, taking two to three trips per week for various activities that include water parks, indoor soccer, bowling, a teams and ropes course, and various other opportunities for fun, games, and sports. The culmination of the summer is the trip to Magic Waters in Rockford and the sleepover at camp during week eight.

AFTER CAMP CARE

For those working parents or parents in need of a longer camp day, we offer an extended day until 6:00 PM Monday through Thursday. Those choosing this program may do so during the application process or add it at a later day.

***Note: It is important to remember that any parent picking up a child later than 6:00 p.m. will be charged $1 per minute, per child. The late charge will be paid directly to the supervising counselors as compensation for extending their day beyond what was expected.